Butao Ramen Causeway Bay 豚王 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

I haven't been able to visit ramen shops as much as I would like these days. Yes, we need to maintain distance between our dining neighbors and ramen shops are just bad places to be if you want to keep distance. But not anymore. Since Hong Kong government announced stricter rules on capacity of restaurants, space is no longer a problem.



It's almost 2:30pm. Another reason why most restaurants in Causeway Bay like Butao Ramen (豚王) are nearly empty. 



Butao's signature tonkotsu ramen, I haven't had one for months now.



I spent some extra cash on a soft-boiled egg, which was nicely done.

The grand daddy of Japanese ramen shops in Hong Kong, Butao's calling card has always been their super rich and creamy pork bone broth. I didn't realize that they have this special homemade chili sauce to go with their ramen but it was so good. Love the extra spicy kick.



I learned from last time and ordered the pork shoulder rather than belly this time around. Worked like a charm for me. The sheet of succulent pork had just the perfect texture (slightly chewy with a nice proportion of fat). That was so good.

It's been a while since I last visited Causeway Bay and I can honestly say this - it's "devastating". The situation is like 2003 SARS all over again. Lots of vacant retail space and empty restaurants and bars. Things are not looking good right now but I'm hoping for a rebound at the end of this year. Hongkongers and the rest of the world better buckle up, cuz it's likely a very rough ride ahead.




Food Rating: 6/10
Price: $$$
Address: G/F, 40 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Causeway Bay
Tel: +852 3189-1200
Website: www.butaoramen.com
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 10:00pm daily

Butterfly Patisserie (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

I have been thinking about a return trip to The Butterfly Room for months but the fact that the elegant all-day lounge at Rosewood Hong Kong is always fully booked had altered my plans completely.



Even with the recent Coronavirus outbreak, it was at full capacity this afternoon so I ended up getting some pastries on the go instead.



Award-winning executive pastry chef Holger Deh has breathed new life into his collection of confections at Butterfly Patisserie since my last visit.



No longer there was his famous Black Forest cake but reinforcements arrived just in the form of Oolong & Guava, Green tea & Cherry, and a couple of others.



Old Meets New - My favorite White Cheese Yuzu cake (left) and this new Oolong & Guava cake (right), which I had the feeling that it might become a new favorite of mine.



Let's see how these two compare to each other.

Oolong & Guava ($68) - This has been infused with oolong tea for 24 hours. A nice blend of east and west, that combines flavors of classic Chinese tea with exotic guava and a layer of vanilla sponge.

This reminded me of another tea infused pastry I had a few weeks ago from Peninsula Boutique called Tea Pot with jasmine tea cream and osmanthus jelly. I gave the slight edge to the Tea Pot but this was beautifully done as well.



White Cheese Yuzu ($68) - A balance between a baked and mousse-like cheesecake as they describe it.

Very light and airy, with a hint of Tahitian Vanilla and zesty yuzu. I think it keeps its place as my favorite here with the Oolong & Guava coming in as a close second.

Food Rating: 7/10
Price: $$$
Address: 2/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 3891-8732
Website: www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/hong-kong/dining/butterfly-patisserie
Opening Hours: 11:00am - 10:00pm daily

181 at Fortnum & Mason (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

When Fortnum & Mason first landed in Hong Kong's K11 Musea late last year, it became the 312-year-old British retailer's first store outside the UK.



We got the chance to check out their 7,000 square feet establishment last December. It certainly looks like they have brought everything from their Piccadilly Circus store along with them including their famous tea, biscuits and sweets.



But we didn't have the opportunity to spend time at 181, the modern British restaurant on the top level of Fortnum & Mason with an uninterrupted view of Victoria Harbour.



Until this afternoon.......



Interesting graffiti they've got here on the wall. Not sure if it matches with the chandelier.



It's a totally different atmosphere once we walked into the dining area. First, a small cocktail bar.



Here's the breath-taking harbour view we've been hearing about. Unobstructed!



In practicing social distancing, I decided to stay away from the crowd and use the reflection from the drawing to admire the view.



Some sourdough bread to start off the meal. It's starting to feel a little weird with my back to the amazing view but too late (and lazy) to change now.



Black pudding Scotch egg with Piccalilli - A signature dish here. In fact, they supposedly invented the dish in the 18th century.



I don't mean they invented Scotch Egg but they refined the recipe replacing the traditional hard-boiled eggs with soft-boiled ones. This was surprisingly moist and tender with the runny egg yolk matched up well against the black pudding and coating of crisp breadcrumbs. Very unexpected nice start.



Short rib with crispy onions, braised baby leeks and horseradish - The melt-in-the-mouth slow-cooked short rib was another pleasant surprise.



It was complemented nicely by a very nice cast of crispy onion rings, baby leeks, horseradish cream, crispy shallots and mashed potatoes. Two out of two. Not bad.



Knickerbocker Glory - I was promised that this was going to be a miniature version of the restaurant signature ice-cream sundae. This doesn't look miniature to me!



Strawberry ice-cream with fresh pineapple and strawberry, raspberry coulis and meringue. It was first introduced in London back in 1955 and it's become a staple in their menu ever since. I'm totally stuffed now.



Some complimentary sweets including a small box of chocolate truffle to send me home a very happy camper.



These were really sweet like the ones they made in Sicily, Italy (but much tastier).



These truffles by Fortnum & Mason turned out to be seriously delicious thanks to the special kick from an intense centre of Marc de Champagne.

The set lunch comes at a bargain price of $288 for 3 courses. Shame that it's only available on weekdays.




Food Rating: 6/10
Price: $$$
Address: Shop 022, G/F K11 Atelier Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: East Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 3916-8181
Website: www.181fortnums.com.hk
Opening Hours: 11:30am - 12:00am (Mon - Sat), 11:30am - 11:30pm (Sun)

Lady M Harbour City (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

After a quick lunch at Reserva Ibérica Tapas Bar & Cafe in Harbour City, I pinged Jelloman to see if she needed anything in the area. To my surprise, she did want something and that something turned out to be Lady M's Earl Grey mille crepes.

It's my first visit to Lady M's Harbour City outpost since I returned from Europe in January. While I didn't expect a full house these days, I certainly didn't imagine myself seeing an almost empty cafe either.

Earl Grey Mille Crepes ($75) - This is one of my favorite flavors from Lady M's mille crepes series (well, I'm also a fan of their rose, pistachio and marron mille crepes!).



I had this one way too many times already but during the current situation, I'm more than happy to lend my helping hands to our local restaurants and cafes. Lady M, in particular, is among my favorite pastry shops in town.



Light pastry cream infused with classic Earl Grey tea was layered between each paper-thin crêpe, finished off with a milk tea glaze, whole Earl Grey tea leaves and edible blue cornflowers. This was sooo gooood! The intense aroma, full flavor and a great lingering smooth after taste felt like I've just had a cup of Earl Grey tea!

Food Rating: 7/10
Price: $$$$
Address: Shop OT 215K, 2/F, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, 17 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2873-2356
Website: www.ladymhk.com
Opening Hours: 11:00am - 7:00pm daily

Reserva Ibérica Tapas Bar & Cafe (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

I had Reserva Ibérica Tapas Bar & Cafe on my radar for quite some time now but narrowly missed out on a number of occasions. In fact, I recalled making bookings at this then-new Spanish tapas bar in buzzy Harbour City not once but twice (both during Restaurant Week) only to cancel at the very last minute.

Today, I finally got the chance to check them out. Sitting at the counter would normally appeal to me but since we were in the middle of a Coronavirus outbreak, I decided to keep some distance from the.....Jamón Ibérico hanging from the ceiling.

The set lunch menu consisting of 2 tapas and 1 main course ranges from $128 to $168 depending on what main dish was chosen.

Oh and by the way, a $45 drink is included in the set. 

Tortilla - I'm a potato freak so I am starting things off with my favorite Spanish tortilla.



My Spanish omelette, served cold, came with a nice mix of egg, potato and artichoke.



A bonus Jamón Ibérico toast. How nice!

Patatas Bravas - I'm a potato freak (this is not a recording) so I'm getting a second potato dish to start off my meal. These were pretty tasty, thanks to the extra kick by the smoked paprika aioli.

My dining partner had the Serrano ham with Pa amb Tomàquet and tomato gazpacho instead. This was a much smarter choice in hindsight.

I had to think long and hard about what to get for my main course. Sous-vide Guinea fowl leg sounds like a great idea as I've been working on a vegetarian diet involuntarily for about a week now. This was served with seasonal vegetables, Parmesan cheese, mashed potato and garlic aioli.

The chicken was pretty tender but the dish as a whole was way too salty. It's not just heavy-handed with the salt; the Parmesan cheese and garlic aioli all culprit there in the over-seasoning. (The Robuchon-style mash was nice though).

I did make one right call this afternoon and that's on the dessert (+$18). The Spanish churro with chocolate ice-cream was well worth the extra cash.

Food Rating: 5/10
Price: $$$
Address: Shop OT305A, 3/F, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Tsim Sha Tsui
Tel: +852 2111-1338
Website: www.reservaiberica.hk/restaurant/tapas-bar-cafe
Opening Hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm daily

Tin Lung Heen 天龍軒 (Hong Kong, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Every restaurant is trying to get through this difficult time largely unscathed. There are campaigns like #unitedwedine to support the local restaurant business. Other restaurants are teaming up with food delivery service providers (Foodpanda, Deliveroo etc.) to get their business afloat. You think the high-end restaurants won't get into the act? Think again.



Early this month, Ritz Carlton Hong Kong launched their 9th anniversary promotions which included some special discounted prices for their F&B arm, including Tin Lung Heen (天龍軒) and Tosca di Angelo. I wasted no time getting online and claiming two coupons from Tin Lung Heen (of course, need to secure a table at the same time).



It's been a very dismal week with poor weather conditions (albeit no rain). I'm sure every Hongkonger is experiencing some dismal mood as well with the uncertainty of how long this coronavirus oubreak will drag on.



It's nice to know that your restaurant staff have your back covered. The team has already prepared envelopes for us to secure our face masks.



As soon as we got settled down, we were offered some caramelized cashews with sesame.



Barbecued pork with osmanthus flower honey (桂花蜜汁叉燒) - It's a multi-course menu that they were serving so let's go on with it. You can't go wrong by kicking off the meal with the restaurant's signature barbecued pork glazed with osmanthus blossom honey. Not surprisingly, the succulent char siu came with the wonderful fragrance of osmanthus from top to bottom. 



Steamed turnip cake and preserved meat topped with fish maw in X.O. chili sauce (X.O.醬花膠蘿蔔糕) - There was no sign of any fish maw but this was very tasty thanks to the finishing touch of X.O chili sauce.



Double-boiled pork shin soup with pork tendon and red date (豬腱紅棗燉蹄筋) - I have always been a huge fan of Executive Chef Paul Lau's double-boiled soup.



This was really rich and full of flavors. There was warmth and comfort, with pure flavors of the pork and red dates shining through beautifully. Having absorbed the richness of the soup, even the pork shin and tendon became precious crown jewels. Easily the best dish of the afternoon.



Steamed rice roll with shrimp and crab roes (蟹籽鮮蝦腸粉) ($125) - For a moment, we stepped away from the set menu and enjoyed some dim sum from the a la carte menu, starting with the steamed rice rolls with shrimp and crab roes.



This tasted a little weird. With the addition of crab roes, the typical shrimp rice rolls have turned into something that tasted like mentaiko (明太子), which was a bit unusual. 



Deep-fried bean curd sheet roll with scallop and tomato (番茄帶子腐皮卷) ($110) - My mistake of not reading the English translation and thinking that it was a steamed version of bean curd sheet roll served in tomato broth (we had something like that at Yan Toh Heen not long ago). Little nugget wasn't impressed with the deep-fried version at all so I had this dish all for myself. 

This wasn't bad though. The crispy bean curd sheet worked wonders with the tomato purée and diced scallops so a real blessing in disguise for me to enjoy all four slices.



Baked barbecued pork bun with almond flakes (杏仁雪影焗叉燒包) ($110) - The baked barbecued pork buns looks good with crushed almond flakes on top.



Little nugget always loves his char siu bao.



This was really good. The proportion of dough, barbecued pork and sauce was perfect.



After we finished with our dim sum, we switched back to the stir-fry dishes from the set menu.



Pan-fried scallop with tomato served with crispy rice cracker (番茄脆餅煎帶子) - I wasn't particularly happy with the fact that the scallops have been thinly sliced. An average dish at the very best and I didn't get the part where they paired the scallops with the rice cracker.



Sauteed Chinese kale with pine nuts (松子炒芥蘭) - Some crunchy Chinese kale from the wok. Always love that. Won't mind some ginger in there too.



Wok-fried chicken with straw mushroom and spring onion (草菇蔥爆雞球) - Not bad.



Fried rice with diced abalone, goose and shrimp wrapped in lotus leaf (鮑粒荷葉飯) - The fried rice had a lot of fragrance from the lotus leaf, and it's stuffed with diced abalone, goose meat and shrimp. Very nice.



Here comes our petite fours. They even have a set for little nugget, which was a very nice gesture.



Chilled milk pudding with black truffle (黑松露奶凍) - The panna cotta came with very rich black truffle flavor.



Deep-fried sachima topped with dragon's bread candy (蜜絲蕯琪瑪) - I love having Chinese rice crispies (or sachima) but the glutinous rice dumpling with lotus seed paste stole the show.



I didn't recall having one bad meal at Tin Lung Heen at all. Okay, maybe one from 2017 but that's about all. In fact, there's a reason why I picked this place for my little nugget's 100-day celebration party. Food has always been very good but it was their heartwarming service that truly counts.





Food Rating: 7/10
Price: $$$$
Address: 102/F, The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Kowloon
Tel: +852 2263-2270
Website: www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/china/hong-kong/dining/tin-lung-heen
Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 2:30pm, 6:00pm - 10:30pm (Mon - Fri), 11:30am - 3:00pm, 6:00pm - 10:30pm (Sat - Sun)